Gas-operated firearm



(No Model.) 2 Sheetwsheen 1. ABURGBSS GAS OPERATED FIREARM.

Patented Aug. 31,1897.

.NQL

(No Model.) -2 Sheets-Sheet 2. A.. BURGESS. GAS OPERATED FIREARM.

Patented Aug. .31, 1897.

e@ s m a m lizzie/202? UNrreD STATES' v PATENT OFFICE.v

ANDRIMV ll'lGllSS, OF BUFFALO, NIMV 'XOR-K.

GAS-OPERATED FIREARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of 'Letters Patent No. 589,119, dated August 31 1897.

Application filed November 25, 1892.` Serial 110.4521991. (No model.)

lic it known that I, ANDREW BURGESS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Magazine-Firearms; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference` being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a' part of this specification.

My invention relates to magazine and automatic firearms, and has for its objectsimplicity, safety, and rapid firing, and is adaptable to pistols, riiies, Shotguns, machine-guns,l and cannon; and it consists in mechanisms and combinations of parts for automatically unlocking and moving baekthe breech-piece by the discharge and various other arrangements and combination of parts hereinafter more fully set forth and described.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation of this arm, showing some details in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of this arm with breech closed. Fig. 3 is a similar View with the breech open. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal horizontal section showing the breech closed and locked.l Fig. 5 is a cross-section on line .t :r of Fig. 2. Fig. G is a cross-section on line -y y. Fig. 7 shows face' of breech-piece with handle-straps in cross-section. Fig. 8 is a side view of breech-piece; Fig. 9, a rear end View of maga-zine; Fig. 10, a sectional .side View of magazine with annular projection of frame. Fig. 11 shows part of the magazinespring and follower.

Similar figures of reference in accompanying drawings indicate corresponding parts.

A barrel l, frame l2, butt-strap 3, and guard 4 are arranged together in the usual manner.

The breech-piece 5 has lateral longitudinal projections 6 6 (which may be either integral therewith or attached) to enter the grooves 7 in the frame and conine the breech-piece and guide it to a reciprocating movement in the frame.

A sliding handle S clasps the barrel and is guided thereon in the usual manner. This handle has side straps 9 9 extending rearward. These straps may be elastic to spreadoutward a little to pass back outside of the breechpiece. 'lhe outer sides o f said breech-piece has vertical grooves or projections 10 10, and the inner rear of the straps have corresponding projections or grooves to connect the said straps and breech-piece together, where they maybe fu rtherheld by screws 12 12, as shown in Fig. 4. I thus form a strong connection of the handle with the breech-piece, with the object of locking the breech by means of the handle. This connection may be made by other obvious means. A locking-dog 13 is fulerumed in the handle 8. Its end 14 may be projected by spring 16 into the notch 15 in the barrel. Said dog has also a thumb-piece 17, by which it may be turned to release it from its engagement with the barrel. This manner of locking and 'releasing the handlev is well known, but I also here show another device for unlocking the handle by means of the discharge of -the gun.

A pin 18 has a head projecting inside the bore of the gun. Said pinis riveted or headed slightly outside the barrel in a mannerto allow it a little movement in and out. The locking of the dog 13 will force itin, as shown in Fig. 4, but in firing the pin will be forced outward by the passing projectile or gases of discharge to violently throw the dog 13 out from itslocking position, thereby allowing the pressure of gasesstill in the barrel to throw back the breech-pin and handle by direct pressure on the cartridge-shell and breechpiece.

It is obviousthat" the release-pin 18 may be arranged at any distance from the breech and that a heavy charge, when used, may operate much stronger and more remote from the breech than a light one, and in some conditions an unusually strong cartridge-shell may y ,the gas will .act directly on the dog 13 to blow it back, and the breech will be opened by the discharge, as before. This arm is also provided with one or a pair of spiral springs 19 19, (shown alongside of the barrel and magazine, Fig. 6,) and in Fig. 2 the barrel and maga- IOO zine are broken away to show one of said springs and its aburnment 21. of the handle to thereby bear forward on the handle by a constant pressure, so that when the breech lIO ` ner.

and handle shall be forced back, as before dction, and the dog 13 will spring into its lockingnotch l to hold the breech closed.

The vibrating hammer 22 is hung in the breech-pieceV and is provided with a mainspring 23 and a spring-scar 24, and a trigger 25 has a point 26 to engage said sear and release it from the hammer in the usual man- A cooking-'dog 27 is also-hung in the trigger and has a spring to throw it into position to engage a supplementary notch 28 of the hammer when the breech is closed. A pull on the trigger will then cock the hammer, as shown in Fig.2. The hammer is also cocked by said dog 27 by the automatic opening of the breech, when the trigger is thrown forward by its spring 29, as shown in Fig. 3, when the breech is closed and the hammer down. Said hammer obtains the position shown in dotted linesin that figure and engages the notch 2 of hammer to resist below the hammer-pivot, and thereby turn the top of hammer back to cock it when the breech-piece is forced back by the handle. Then lthel sear retains the hammer in its cocked position and holds it thus until the breech closes, when'the parts attain the relative positions shown in Fig. 2, and the arm may then be fired in the usual manner. The hammer and cocking-dog at the instant of the discharge take the posi- Then to continue firing automatically 'the trigger is held back by a stop or a continued pull,

the gas or release pin throws out the lockingpiece, 'and the breech is then free to be moved back by the impulse ofthe pressure yet remaining in the barrel.

AV spur is shown on the cooking-dog, whose position is shown in Fig. 1. At the instant of 'tiring and as the' breech begins to travel backward said spur engages the notch 28 of the hammer to turn'and cock it, and

when the breech-piece reaches the position shown in Fig. 3 it has struck the short arm 4 1 of the carrier to vibrate it and raise its long bifurcated arm and on that the cartridge. The-'springs 19 then snap the breech-piece forward and force the cartridge into the barrel,A when (if the catch 30 has been disengaged) the sear 24 reaches engagement with the trigger, to be turned thereby and release the hammer, when the return of the breech will take place as before and the operation be repeated so long as there are cartridges toA feed and the trigger shall be held back.

I show a safety-catch 30 in Figs. 1 and 3'.

I It is pressed'into engagement with a'notch 31 in the rear of the trigger by its. spring 32 to hold the trigger a little forward of its rearmost position, so it may not then pull ott the sear 24 or release its dog 27 from its hold in notch 28 of the hammer, but when the arm is grasped by the hand in position for firing that clasping of the finger against the rear end 33 of the catch 30 turns said catch out of engagement with the rear of the trigger and so frees it, and a light pull on the trigger then suffices to irethe arm.

It will be seen in Figs. l and 4 that the frame has an opening at the top for the top of the breech-piece to travel in, and I attach a cover 34 to the rear of the opening that the4 breech-piece can pass under, asin Fig. 3, butwhen the breech is closed, as in Fig. 1, said cover-closes the opening not then occupied bythe breech-piece.

The twin extractors 35 35 are hung in the breechpiece, Figs. 4 and h', by horizontal trunnions entering loosely into holes in the sides of the breech-piece. Springs 36 36 press the hooked ends of the extractors inward to grasp the cartridges, and a cut-out in the face of the breech-piece allows the extractor to swing slightly in a vert-ical plane to position,l `as shown in dotted lines, Fig. r4. This swinging is effected at the rearmost position by a stud 38 in the inside of the frame to stop the bottom of the extractor and causes the top of the extractor-hook to cramp and tighten on the inside of the ange of the rising cartridge, as sho-wn in Fig. 3, and firmly hold it against any possibility of flying out of the top of the frame. As soon asthe breech-piece starts forward it moves the extractor out of contact with the stud 38 and the extractor is then free to turn, so it will not bind the cartridge when the closing breech moves it into lthe chamber, andthe abutment 39 of the barrel will turn the lower point of the extractor back, as in Fig. 2, when the breech is closed.

The carrier 40 is hung in the Aframe to the rear of the breech-piece and has a short arm 41, which the rear wall of the breech-piece engages at the last of its backward movement to turn the carrier and thereby raise ,its long split arm 42, which carries up the cartridge. The removable magazine-tube 43, Figs. 9 and 10, is split into a series of staves or blanks 44 and spring-hooks 45 at its rear end.

The hooks projectinward and slightly behind the blanks to hold the cartridges or follower in the tube when it is not attached to the gun.- To attach it, the tube is pressed rearward through the ring 99, which ring is here shown connected to the barrel and having a hook and snap-'spring integral therewith. `When so inserted, the hook of the' snap-spring 47 then engages the extremefront end of the tube to hold it in, as shown in Fig.

y2. When the tube is forced home, the inner IOO lower may not pass, and when the tube is removed its springs hold the followerbyengag-v ing in its corrugated sides.

The snap-sprin g 47 has the hook 47 to hold the magazine in and is-dovetailed-to the barrel by its rear end, which is continued in a ring below to receive and hold the magazine.

I show the rear end of magazine divided into eight parts-four hooks and f ourblanks-but it is obvious that any different spacing, even to using one hook, might be -made to serve the purpose of holding the cartridges in the tube and the blank part of the tube to guide them into the frame.

The ejector 52 has a slot through which it is hu'ng in the breech-piece by'a pin. rlhe ejector has also a, spring 53 belowits pivot to press it back and its forward end downward. The forward end oi' the ejector is split vertically, so its arms may swing at the side of the hammer.

A set-screw 54 through the rear of the frame is arranged to stop the rear of the ejector as the breech reaches its rearmost position, to iirst bear the ejector` forward relatively to the breech-piece, so its points shall project from the face of the breech-piece and reach below the ange of the cartridge-shell, as shown in dot-ted lines in Fig. 2, and then raise its forward end, as shown in Fig. 8, to throw the shell out at the top of the frame.

It is obvious that the hanging of the cockopening of the breech and cooking are effect-v ed by the discharge, and only a short pullon the trigger is required to continue firing.

I claimv 1. In an automatic gun, the barrel and breech-piece constructed to permit a longitudinal opening and closing movement, a locking-dog by which said barrel and breech-piece are locked together when the breech is' closed, an opening in the barrel, and a gas-check pin in this opening, said pin operating directly on the locking-dog to unlock the parts by means of pressure in the barrel acting on said pin, whereby the parts may be unlocked and the breech opened by direct pressure from within the bore, all combined substantially as described. Y

2. In an automatic gun, a frame supporting L the breech and barrel, and means for opening ,ing-dog,- whereby when unlocked the breech will be opened by residual pressure in the here acting backward on the cartridge-shell, and a spring'acting to close the breech-opening, substantiallyas described.'

3. In an automatic gun, the barrel and breech-piece constructed to permit a longitudinal opening and closing movement, a locking-dog by which said barrel and breech-piece are locked in closed position, and means extending to the bore of the barrel whereby the breech may bc unlocked by pressure within the bore, and whereby the breech and barrel may be separated by direct residualpressure within the bore, `all combined substantially as described.

4. In a gun, the barrel, frame and breechpiece and reciprocating handle rigidly con-l nected to and reciprocating in the'same direction with said breech-piece, means for locking the handle to the barrel, and an opening in the barrel in proximity to said lock, whereby the handle is, released by pressure through said opening when the gun is fired, all combined substantially as described.

5. In a gun, the frame and longitudinallyreciprocating breech-piece, the extractor-s having fulcrum-bearings on the breech-piece, and abutments by which the extractors are rocked and cramped to clamp the ange of the cartridge at about the rearmost position of the breech-piece, all combined substantially as described.

6. In a breech-loading gun, the frame and barrel,the lon gitudinally-movin g breech-closing piece, the spring-pressed extractor-hook hung in said breech-piece on horizontal trunnions entering loosely into a hole in the breech-piece, and the abutment in the frame acting as a stop to cramp the extractor-hook on the cartridge, aii combined substantially as described.

7. A reciprocating breech-piece, an ejector .hung with reciprocating movement therein and a spring fo press the ejector back and downward, in combination with a resistingpiece in the line of movement of the ejector to protrude said ejectors point forward of the breech-face, and then raise it, substantially as described.

8. The combination of barrel and frame, a breech-block free to reciprocate in the frame, means for normally locking the gun in closed position, and means reaching to the bore of the gun for unlocking the locking device, whereby on tiring the gun the pressure ofl gas in the bore of the 'gun irst unlocks the breechblock, and then directly opens the breech, substantially' as described.

9. A breech-loadin g irearm provided with an opening in its frame to receive the cartridges, a projecting ring around said opening, a guideway to receive and-hold the magazine beneath the barrel and a spring-snap to confine it against said ring, in combination with a detachable tubular magazine closed at IOO IIO

its front end, and provided withl alternate spring stops and guides at its open rear end, substantially as and for the purpose speciiied.

10. Abrecch-loading firearm provided with an opening in its frame to receive the cartridges, a projecting ring around said opening, a guideway to receive and hold the 1naga zine beneath the barrel, and a spring-snap to confine the magazine against said projecting ring, all in combination and with a detachable tubular magazine arranged t0 feed and guide the cartridges, substantially as dc` scribed.v u

11. A detachable tubular magazine closed at its front end, provided with alternate spring stops and guides, to form a continuation of its rear end, in combination Witha sure of its spring, all in combination substantially as described.

13. A detachable tubular-magazine closed at its front end, slits in its open rear end to form alternate blanks and hooks, integral with the body of the magazine the hooks being formed to springinward and holdthe cartridges in the magazine against the pressure of its spring, and a folloiver having` annular grooves or corrngations, substantiall7 as dcscribed: i

14. A gun having a barrel and brccchelos ing piece constructed to relatively open and close, locking means for retaining these parts in closed position, means reaching to the bore v of the gun by which the parts are unlocked by pressure within the bore on the Vfiring of the gun, and the breech and barrel separated by residual pressure within the bore, all combined substantially as described.

15. In an automatic gun, the barrel and breeclvpiece, constructed to have a longitudinal movement of one part relatively to the other, in opening and closing, alocking-piece to retain the breech in closed position, and an elastic gas, developed in the bore of the gun by firing and acting on the locking-dog to unlock the same, and on the barrel and breech to separate the combined substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ANDREW BU RGESS. Witnesses:

JN0. McMANUs, E. L. MORTIMER.

same by direct pressure, allv 

